100-748: The Junior Cycle ( Irish : An tSraith Shóisearach ) is the first stage of the education programme for post-primary education within the Republic of Ireland . It is overseen by the Department of Education and the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA), and its terminal examination, the Junior Certificate, by the State Examinations Commission . New specifications and curriculum reforms saw
200-486: A Catholic and a GP ; they have one daughter and one son. She spent time at home while having her children and once they were in school she ran a playgroup in the mornings, spent time with the children in the afternoon and did political work in the evenings. In 1982, O'Sullivan joined the Democratic Socialist Party (DSP), a small party founded by Limerick TD Jim Kemmy , who had previously been
300-415: A Junior Cycle Profile of Achievement (JCPA) is issued to students by their schools, which record learning arising from short courses; classroom assessments and the results of state exams. For every subject, students engage with two structured classroom-based assessments (CBAs), one each in second and third year. A written assessment task supervised by teachers in class is completed in third year and marked by
400-547: A unique dialect of Irish developed before falling out of use in the early 20th century. With a writing system , Ogham , dating back to at least the 4th century AD, which was gradually replaced by Latin script since the 5th century AD, Irish has one of the oldest vernacular literatures in Western Europe . On the island, the language has three major dialects: Connacht , Munster and Ulster Irish . All three have distinctions in their speech and orthography . There
500-494: A "super junior" minister. In July 2014, she was appointed Minister for Education and Skills . She continued the promotion of plurality in a church-dominated system by divesting schools of church patronage, and announced new multi-denominational schools under the patronage divesting process. In March 2015, the government, with O'Sullivan the minister responsible, confirmed it would lock away for 75 years any statements it received from victims of child sexual abuse (almost twice
600-717: A bargaining chip during government formation in Northern Ireland, prompting protests from organisations and groups such as An Dream Dearg . Irish became an official language of the EU on 1 January 2007, meaning that MEPs with Irish fluency can now speak the language in the European Parliament and at committees, although in the case of the latter they have to give prior notice to a simultaneous interpreter in order to ensure that what they say can be interpreted into other languages. While an official language of
700-575: A better future for Ireland and all her citizens." The Strategy was produced on 21 December 2010 and will stay in action until 2030; it aims to target language vitality and revitalization of the Irish language. The 30-page document published by the Government of Ireland details the objectives it plans to work towards in an attempt to preserve and promote both the Irish language and the Gaeltacht. It
800-478: A cultural and social force. Irish speakers often insisted on using the language in law courts (even when they knew English), and Irish was also common in commercial transactions. The language was heavily implicated in the "devotional revolution" which marked the standardisation of Catholic religious practice and was also widely used in a political context. Down to the time of the Great Famine and even afterwards,
900-553: A degree course in the NUI federal system to pass the subject of Irish in the Leaving Certificate or GCE / GCSE examinations. Exemptions are made from this requirement for students who were born or completed primary education outside of Ireland, and students diagnosed with dyslexia . NUI Galway is required to appoint people who are competent in the Irish language, as long as they are also competent in all other aspects of
1000-460: A fully recognised EU language for the first time in the state's history. Before Irish became an official language it was afforded the status of treaty language and only the highest-level documents of the EU were made available in Irish. The Irish language was carried abroad in the modern period by a vast diaspora , chiefly to Great Britain and North America, but also to Australia , New Zealand and Argentina . The first large movements began in
1100-641: A members of the Labour Party . There had been no political tradition in her family – her parents had supported different parties – and her choice of party was based on her support for Kemmy's anti-nationalist stance on Northern Ireland, and his advocacy of family planning services and a pro-choice approach to abortion. Family planning was deeply controversial in Ireland from the 1970s to the 1990s, particularly in Limerick, where Kemmy had lost his Dáil seat at
SECTION 10
#17327651434021200-466: A new grading system as part of the new Junior Cycle, replacing an older system of grades A-F and NG. This was introduced into other subjects, with examination in Science and Business Studies starting in 2019. The grading structure is as follows: Irish language Irish ( Standard Irish : Gaeilge ), also known as Irish Gaelic or simply Gaelic ( / ˈ ɡ eɪ l ɪ k / GAY -lik ),
1300-585: A paper suggested that within a generation, non-Gaeltacht habitual users of Irish might typically be members of an urban, middle class, and highly educated minority. Parliamentary legislation is supposed to be available in both Irish and English but is frequently only available in English. This is notwithstanding that Article 25.4 of the Constitution of Ireland requires that an "official translation" of any law in one official language be provided immediately in
1400-575: A pass in Leaving Certificate Irish or English, and receive lessons in Irish during their two years of training. Official documents of the Irish government must be published in both Irish and English or Irish alone (in accordance with the Official Languages Act 2003, enforced by An Coimisinéir Teanga , the Irish language ombudsman). The National University of Ireland requires all students wishing to embark on
1500-625: A religious context. An Irish translation of the Old Testament by Leinsterman Muircheartach Ó Cíonga , commissioned by Bishop Bedell , was published after 1685 along with a translation of the New Testament. Otherwise, Anglicisation was seen as synonymous with 'civilising' the native Irish. Currently, modern day Irish speakers in the church are pushing for language revival. It has been estimated that there were around 800,000 monoglot Irish speakers in 1800, which dropped to 320,000 by
1600-492: A result of linguistic imperialism . Today, Irish is still commonly spoken as a first language in Ireland's Gaeltacht regions, in which 2% of Ireland's population lived in 2022. The total number of people (aged 3 and over) in Ireland who declared they could speak Irish in April 2022 was 1,873,997, representing 40% of respondents, but of these, 472,887 said they never spoke it and a further 551,993 said they only spoke it within
1700-535: A student has a spelling problem in English they will be marked out of 50 for their mechanics). Junior Cert results are not a prerequisite for the Leaving Certificate, so that all students may continue to their next year of education no matter what their results. The Junior Certificate (and more so, the Leaving Certificate ) results take centre place in the Irish media during the week surrounding their release. The newspapers publish various statistics about
1800-577: A student is unhappy with a grade they received on any of the exam results, they may appeal the decision made by the SEC. They need to pay a fee (in 2010 the fee was set at €32 per exam) and the principal of the school will have to write a letter of appeal application to the State Examinations Commission, stating the candidate's name, exam number and the exam they would like to appeal. There is a deadline to appeal, usually 14–21 days after
1900-536: A timeline of when the changes would occur over a gradual basis. In 2016, pilots of the new system had been underway for three years, with the principal of St Joseph's College, Lucan , in particular noting that the "engagement in learning" proved to be a panacea for the school's discipline problems. In 2017, English became the first subject to be issued with the new grading system. Science and Business were then reformed in 2016; Irish, Mathematics and French in 2017; History and Geography in 2019. The full Junior Certificate
2000-545: A wider meaning, including the Gaelic of Scotland and the Isle of Man , as well as of Ireland. When required by the context, these are distinguished as Gaeilge na hAlban , Gaeilge Mhanann and Gaeilge na hÉireann respectively. In English (including Hiberno-English ), the language is usually referred to as Irish , as well as Gaelic and Irish Gaelic . The term Irish Gaelic may be seen when English speakers discuss
2100-603: Is a Celtic language of the Indo-European language family . It is a member of the Goidelic language group of the Insular Celtic sub branch of the family and is indigenous to the island of Ireland . It was the majority of the population's first language until the 19th century, when English gradually became dominant, particularly in the last decades of the century, in what is sometimes characterised as
SECTION 20
#17327651434022200-583: Is all practical work and students may work after school or do an apprenticeship, respectively. The vast majority of students continue from junior level to senior level, with only 12.3% leaving after the Junior Certificate. This is lower than the EU average of 15.2%. The NCCA issued a new language and policy around post-primary education in Ireland. Each subject curriculum will be replaced by 'specifications' supported by Key Skills (6 in total) and 24 Statements of Learning . All subjects incorporate all six key skills, however, most subjects only incorporate some of
2300-452: Is also An Caighdeán Oifigiúil , a standardised written form devised by a parliamentary commission in the 1950s. The traditional Irish alphabet , a variant of the Latin alphabet with 18 letters , has been succeeded by the standard Latin alphabet (albeit with 7–8 letters used primarily in loanwords ). Irish has constitutional status as the national and first official language of
2400-633: Is an Irish former Labour Party politician who served as Minister for Education and Skills from 2014 to 2016 and as a Minister of State from 2011 to 2014. She served as a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Limerick City constituency from 2011 to 2020, and previously from 1998 to 2011 for the Limerick East constituency. O'Sullivan was born in Clonlara , County Clare , in 1950. She was educated at Villiers School , Limerick , where her father
2500-511: Is divided into four separate phases with the intention of improving 9 main areas of action including: The general goal for this strategy was to increase the number of daily speakers from 83,000 to 250,000 by the end of its run. By 2022, the number of such speakers had fallen to 71,968. Before the partition of Ireland in 1921, Irish was recognised as a school subject and as "Celtic" in some third level institutions. Between 1921 and 1972, Northern Ireland had devolved government. During those years
2600-529: Is only in Gaeltacht areas that Irish continues to be spoken as a community vernacular to some extent. According to data compiled by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht , Sport and Media , only 1/4 of households in Gaeltacht areas are fluent in Irish. The author of a detailed analysis of the survey, Donncha Ó hÉallaithe of the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology , described
2700-412: Is still spoken daily to some extent as a first language . These regions are known individually and collectively as the Gaeltacht (plural Gaeltachtaí ). While the fluent Irish speakers of these areas, whose numbers have been estimated at 20–30,000, are a minority of the total number of fluent Irish speakers, they represent a higher concentration of Irish speakers than other parts of the country and it
2800-553: Is to the fore in these specifications along with in-class assessments and written examinations. Changes have been made to subject levels; under the Junior Certificate Examinations framework there were three levels, Higher, Ordinary and Foundation. Under the framework for Junior Cycle reforms, only Irish, Maths and English have two levels (Higher and Ordinary), while all other subjects have one 'common level'. Students can only study up to 10 subjects; under
2900-666: The Fíor-Ghaeltacht (true Gaeltacht ), a term originally officially applied to areas where over 50% of the population spoke Irish. There are Gaeltacht regions in the following counties: Gweedore ( Gaoth Dobhair ), County Donegal, is the largest Gaeltacht parish in Ireland. Irish language summer colleges in the Gaeltacht are attended by tens of thousands of teenagers annually. Students live with Gaeltacht families, attend classes, participate in sports, go to céilithe and are obliged to speak Irish. All aspects of Irish culture and tradition are encouraged. The Act
3000-721: The November 1982 general election , after being denounced by the Catholic Church for his opposition to the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland . Those such as O'Sullivan who were involved in the family planning services which Kemmy had helped found were labelled "Kemmy's Femmies". O'Sullivan was elected to Limerick City Council in 1985, she also served as a member of the Mid-Western Health Board from 1991 to 2003. O'Sullivan joined
3100-576: The Republic of Ireland , and is also an official language of Northern Ireland and among the official languages of the European Union . The public body Foras na Gaeilge is responsible for the promotion of the language throughout the island. Irish has no regulatory body but An Caighdeán Oifigiúil , the standard written form, is guided by a parliamentary service and new vocabulary by a voluntary committee with university input. In An Caighdeán Oifigiúil ("The Official [Written] Standard ")
Junior Cycle - Misplaced Pages Continue
3200-634: The 17th century, largely as a result of the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland , which saw many Irish sent to the West Indies . Irish emigration to the United States was well established by the 18th century, and was reinforced in the 1840s by thousands fleeing from the Famine . This flight also affected Britain. Up until that time most emigrants spoke Irish as their first language, though English
3300-789: The 1998 Good Friday Agreement , the language gradually received a degree of formal recognition in Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom, and then, in 2003, by the British government's ratification in respect of the language of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages . In the 2006 St Andrews Agreement the British government promised to enact legislation to promote the language and in 2022 it approved legislation to recognise Irish as an official language alongside English. The bill received royal assent on 6 December 2022. The Irish language has often been used as
3400-512: The 2007 general election, Pat Rabbitte resigned as leader and the outgoing deputy leader, Liz McManus , did not seek re-election. Eamon Gilmore was elected unopposed as leader, O'Sullivan stood for the deputy leadership , and was defeated by Dublin West TD Joan Burton , by 1,480 votes to 1,276. In a frontbench reshuffle on 16 September 2007, appointed O'Sullivan to the role of Spokesperson for Health . On 10 March 2011, she
3500-403: The 6th century, used the Latin alphabet and is attested primarily in marginalia to Latin manuscripts. During this time, the Irish language absorbed some Latin words, some via Old Welsh , including ecclesiastical terms : examples are easpag (bishop) from episcopus , and Domhnach (Sunday, from dominica ). By the 10th century, Old Irish had evolved into Middle Irish , which
3600-571: The Act all detailing different aspects of the use of Irish in official documentation and communication. Included in these sections are subjects such as Irish language use in official courts, official publications, and placenames. The Act was recently amended in December 2019 in order to strengthen the already preexisting legislation. All changes made took into account data collected from online surveys and written submissions. The Official Languages Scheme
3700-630: The Department of Education and Skills produced research and studies on what changes needed to be made to education in Ireland. In late 2009 the Government considered for a short period of time to completely scrap all Junior Cert examinations permanently. The move was met with criticism and outrage from the Teachers' Union (ASTI), but the Government said that scrapping the annual examinations and replacing them with continuous assessment would save
3800-471: The European Union , only co-decision regulations were available until 2022, due to a five-year derogation, requested by the Irish Government when negotiating the language's new official status. The Irish government had committed itself to train the necessary number of translators and interpreters and to bear the related costs. This derogation ultimately came to an end on 1 January 2022, making Irish
3900-616: The Group Cert and Inter Cert were coordinated from 1968. The first Junior Certificate syllabus was introduced in 1989 and examined in 1992. The new, modern Junior Certificate course was acclaimed as it was much more flexible than its predecessors. It quickly became the minimum requirement for getting a job in Ireland. Near the end of the 1990s, the Department of Education and Science began to replace many subject curricula, particularly those that were deemed dated, such as History and Geography . In 1999, Civic, Social, and Political Education
4000-482: The Internet for the first time thus allowing students who, for instance, had moved school or left school to get their results without having to return to their old school. The lack of students taking higher level Maths has been a consistent issue throughout the history of the Junior Certificate. However, in recent years the percentage of taking higher level Maths has increased. Throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s,
4100-549: The Irish language policy followed by Irish governments as a "complete and absolute disaster". The Irish Times , referring to his analysis published in the Irish language newspaper Foinse , quoted him as follows: "It is an absolute indictment of successive Irish Governments that at the foundation of the Irish State there were 250,000 fluent Irish speakers living in Irish-speaking or semi Irish-speaking areas, but
Junior Cycle - Misplaced Pages Continue
4200-473: The Junior Certificate and instead, introduce a brand new syllabus in English for students starting first year of secondary school in September 2014, with only 90% of the test going for a written exam. The other 10% was an assessment task taken during the third year. This was a reflection of the learning from the second classroom-based assessment (CBA). By 2015; the finalized report 'Framework for Junior Cycle'
4300-428: The Junior Certificate, students can take an examination subject at one of three levels. These are: The level taken at Junior Certificate may have bearing on the level taken in the Leaving Certificate; thus, for instance, a student could take an Ordinary level in the Junior Certificate and then could not take a Higher level in the corresponding Leaving Certificate subject, later. In the Junior Certificate candidates have
4400-574: The Junior Cycle and 100 percent assessment by teachers. On 15 January 2014, the Department of Education and Skills announced that the new name for the Junior Certificate would be called the "Junior Cycle Student Award". After much delay and changes made to the framework by April 2014, teacher unions began industrial action, starting with the policy of non-cooperation with planning measures due to concerns in relation to impartially around correcting students assessments. The government agreed to not scrap
4500-659: The Junior Cycle must reach at least 12 years of age on 1 January of the school year of admission and must have completed primary education; the examination is normally taken after three years' study in a secondary school. Intermediate Certificate ("Inter Cert"): ( Irish : Teastas Idirmheánach ) introduced in 1924; originally for pupils at voluntary secondary schools (often boarding schools ) after 3 or 4 years of study. Group, or Day Vocational, Certificate ("Group Cert", or "Day Cert"): ( Irish : Teastas Grúpa, Teastas na nGairmchúrsaí Lae ) introduced in 1947 for pupils at vocational schools after 2 years of study The syllabuses of
4600-415: The Junior Cycle replaced the original Junior Certificate programme (as first introduced in 1992). The revised curriculum was introduced on a gradual phased basis from 2014, and the process was completed in 2022. A Junior Cycle Profile of Achievement is issued to students who have successfully achieved a minimum standard in their Junior Cycle assessments and examinations. A "recognised pupil" who commences
4700-432: The Junior Cycle. Students taking such courses will be introduced to a variety of subjects which are linked to the statements of learning and are designed for approximately 100 hours of student engagement. 10 short courses have been introduced to date, however schools have the opportunity to develop their own Short Courses which reflect their school community as long as they fit into the framework for Junior Cycle. Students have
4800-422: The Junior Cycle. The examination does not reach the standards for college or university entrance; instead, a school leaver in Ireland will typically take the Leaving Certificate examination two or three years after completion of the Junior Certificate to reach that standard. The objective of the Junior Cycle is: ...to provide a well-balanced, general education suitable for pupils who leave full-time education at
4900-741: The Labour Party when the DSP merged with Labour in 1990, having been one of the DSP's negotiators in the merger discussions. At the 1992 general election , as the running-mate of the DSP's founder Jim Kemmy , she narrowly missed winning a second seat for Labour in Limerick East . In 1993, she was elected to the 20th Seanad on the Administrative Panel , and became leader of the Labour group in Seanad Éireann . From 1993 to 1994, O'Sullivan
5000-407: The Leaving Certificate and Junior Certificate examinations cannot take place in the same centre. Smaller centres can be used for students with reasonable accommodations because of a learning or writing difficulty. Each exam centre is supervised by an external superintendent , usually a teacher from another school or an employee of the SEC. A staff member of the school is hired as an examination aide by
5100-620: The Republic of Ireland ), new appointees to the Civil Service of the Republic of Ireland , including postal workers , tax collectors , agricultural inspectors, Garda Síochána (police), etc., were required to have some proficiency in Irish. By law, a Garda who was addressed in Irish had to respond in Irish as well. In 1974, in part through the actions of protest organisations like the Language Freedom Movement ,
SECTION 50
#17327651434025200-685: The SEC to act as a liaison between the SEC and the school officials during the examination period. Candidates may not enter the exam centre after the first 30 minutes and are permitted to leave the centre after 30 minutes have passed, up until the last 15 minutes of the examination, although this practice has been abolished in some schools, and is discouraged in many others. The Irish Times published an article where teachers expressed their concern that some syllabi for certain subjects (e.g. Business Studies) were not "up-to-date" with current events and would therefore not encourage students enough to think independently and apply theory to real-world scenarios. At
5300-477: The State Examinations Commission. In 2022 and 2023, students completed only one classroom-based assessment in each subject and were not required to complete assessment tasks due to disrupted learning caused by the COVID-19 pandemic . Most subjects have up to two in-class assessments and subjects such as Geography, Science and History have a project to complete. The final examination takes place after three years of
5400-512: The Statements of Learning. The new framework issued by the NCCA proposed the development of Short Courses ; the NCCA has issued specifications for some Short Courses however, schools have the opportunity to create their own short courses that are relevant to their school community. Built into the specifications and short courses is a re-emphasis on literacy and numeracy. Student-centred learning
5500-746: The beginning of the following academic year. For a number of years there has been vigorous debate in political, academic and other circles about the failure of most students in English-medium schools to achieve competence in Irish, even after fourteen years of teaching as one of the three main subjects. The concomitant decline in the number of traditional native speakers has also been a cause of great concern. In 2007, filmmaker Manchán Magan found few Irish speakers in Dublin , and faced incredulity when trying to get by speaking only Irish in Dublin. He
5600-458: The country €30 million. In 2011, the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) published reports proposing a major reform of the Junior Cycle following consultations with stakeholders, and amid concern over the heavy emphasis on "teaching to the test" in secondary schools. However, by October 2012 Teachers Unions and educationalists criticised the proposal by former Minister for Education and Skills Ruairi Quinn to abolish state exams in
5700-499: The course, in early June. The exams always start with English , then the other core subjects and finish with the subjects that have the fewest candidates. In the Junior Certificate candidates have the option of answering either in Irish (only if they have been in the Irish stream) or in English, except in the case of the subjects Irish and English and questions in other language subjects. Certain subjects and components are not available for bonus marks, marks awarded also vary depending on
5800-718: The education system. Linguistic analyses of Irish speakers are therefore based primarily on the number of daily users in Ireland outside the education system, which in 2022 was 20,261 in the Gaeltacht and 51,707 outside it, totalling 71,968. In response to the 2021 census of Northern Ireland , 43,557 individuals stated they spoke Irish on a daily basis, 26,286 spoke it on a weekly basis, 47,153 spoke it less often than weekly, and 9,758 said they could speak Irish, but never spoke it. From 2006 to 2008, over 22,000 Irish Americans reported speaking Irish as their first language at home, with several times that number claiming "some knowledge" of
5900-448: The end of compulsory schooling or, alternatively, who wish to enter on more advanced courses of study. The final examination takes place after three years of the course, in early June. The exams always start with English , then the other core subjects and finish with the subjects that have the fewest candidates. They usually last two and a half weeks. The exams can take the form of written papers, aural exams (which are usually included at
6000-474: The end of the famine, and under 17,000 by 1911. Irish is recognised by the Constitution of Ireland as the national and first official language of Republic of Ireland (English being the other official language). Despite this, almost all government business and legislative debate is conducted in English. In 1938, the founder of Conradh na Gaeilge (Gaelic League), Douglas Hyde , was inaugurated as
6100-419: The exam and cover high achievers (some receive ten or more "A" grades). In 2019, much controversy was caused by the delaying of the results from the usual 12–15 September dates until 4 October. The 2022 exam was the first to be held in two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic with results being issued on 23 November due to a shortage of examiners and the prioritisation given to marking the Leaving Certificate. If
SECTION 60
#17327651434026200-560: The first President of Ireland . The record of his delivering his inaugural Declaration of Office in Roscommon Irish is one of only a few recordings of that dialect. In the 2016 census, 10.5% of respondents stated that they spoke Irish, either daily or weekly, while over 70,000 people (4.2%) speak it as a habitual daily means of communication. From the foundation of the Irish Free State in 1922 (see History of
6300-716: The language family, is derived from the Old Irish term. Endonyms of the language in the various modern Irish dialects include: Gaeilge [ˈɡeːlʲɟə] in Galway, Gaeilg / Gaeilic / Gaeilig [ˈɡeːlʲəc] in Mayo and Ulster , Gaelainn / Gaoluinn [ˈɡeːl̪ˠən̠ʲ] in West/Cork, Kerry Munster , as well as Gaedhealaing in mid and East Kerry/Cork and Waterford Munster to reflect local pronunciation. Gaeilge also has
6400-410: The language was in use by all classes, Irish being an urban as well as a rural language. This linguistic dynamism was reflected in the efforts of certain public intellectuals to counter the decline of the language. At the end of the 19th century, they launched the Gaelic revival in an attempt to encourage the learning and use of Irish, although few adult learners mastered the language. The vehicle of
6500-476: The language. For most of recorded Irish history , Irish was the dominant language of the Irish people , who took it with them to other regions , such as Scotland and the Isle of Man , where Middle Irish gave rise to Scottish Gaelic and Manx . It was also, for a period, spoken widely across Canada , with an estimated 200,000–250,000 daily Canadian speakers of Irish in 1890. On the island of Newfoundland ,
6600-517: The mid-18th century, English was becoming a language of the Catholic middle class, the Catholic Church and public intellectuals, especially in the east of the country. Increasingly, as the value of English became apparent, parents sanctioned the prohibition of Irish in schools. Increasing interest in emigrating to the United States and Canada was also a driver, as fluency in English allowed
6700-804: The name of the language is Gaeilge , from the South Connacht form, spelled Gaedhilge prior the spelling reform of 1948, which was originally the genitive of Gaedhealg , the form used in Classical Gaelic . The modern spelling results from the deletion of the silent ⟨dh⟩ in Gaedhilge . Older spellings include Gaoidhealg [ˈɡeːʝəlˠəɡ] in Classical Gaelic and Goídelc [ˈɡoiðʲelɡ] in Old Irish . Goidelic , used to refer to
6800-469: The new immigrants to get jobs in areas other than farming. An estimated one quarter to one third of US immigrants during the Great Famine were Irish speakers. Irish was not marginal to Ireland's modernisation in the 19th century, as is often assumed. In the first half of the century there were still around three million people for whom Irish was the primary language, and their numbers alone made them
6900-550: The normal length). This decision was criticised by survivors. O'Sullivan retained her seat in the Dáil, following the 2016 general election in February, one of only seven Labour TDs to be elected. The party did not enter government, though O'Sullivan retained her position as Minister for Education and Skills until talks on government formation had concluded and the formation of a new government on 6 May 2016. She lost her seat at
7000-522: The number now is between 20,000 and 30,000." In the 1920s, when the Irish Free State was founded, Irish was still a vernacular in some western coastal areas. In the 1930s, areas where more than 25% of the population spoke Irish were classified as Gaeltacht . Today, the strongest Gaeltacht areas, numerically and socially, are those of South Connemara , the west of the Dingle Peninsula , and northwest Donegal, where many residents still use Irish as their primary language. These areas are often referred to as
7100-404: The opportunity to take up to 4 short courses and substitute these for more long-form non-mandatory subjects. The short courses available include eight courses at the 3rd level of the National Framework of Qualifications, the first three of which are offered as potential elements of the school wellbeing programme: and two other courses: while a further course is to be developed: On completion,
7200-651: The option of answering either in Irish (only if they have been in the Irish stream) or in English, except in the case of the subjects Irish and English and questions in other language subjects. Certain subjects and components are not available for bonus marks, marks awarded also vary depending on the written nature of the subject. Students who face disadvantages (e.g. suffer spelling problems caused by dyslexia, dyspraxia, dysgraphia, or other disorders such as Autism Spectrum Disorder or ADHD) cannot be penalised for poor spelling in exams such as English and Irish. These candidates will then be marked more leniently on all topics (e.g. if
7300-515: The optional subjects but must offer all the mandatory and certain optional subjects. † An exemption from taking Irish may be awarded in some cases, for students with a specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia or Autism Spectrum Disorder , or those who did not attend school in the country before their twelfth birthday. ‡ Classical Studies can not be taken by a student who is also taking Greek or Latin. The NCCA has circulated specifications for 'Short Courses', which are part of, or linked to,
7400-503: The other official language, if not already passed in both official languages. In November 2016, RTÉ reported that over 2.3 million people worldwide were learning Irish through the Duolingo app. Irish president Michael D. Higgins officially honoured several volunteer translators for developing the Irish edition, and said the push for Irish language rights remains an "unfinished project". There are rural areas of Ireland where Irish
7500-557: The political party holding power in the Stormont Parliament , the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP), was hostile to the language. The context of this hostility was the use of the language by nationalists. In broadcasting, there was an exclusion on the reporting of minority cultural issues, and Irish was excluded from radio and television for almost the first fifty years of the previous devolved government. After
7600-459: The previous Junior Certificate there was no limit. A "recognised junior pupil" must undertake all the mandatory subjects and at least two of the optional subjects, except insofar as exemptions or exclusions apply. In certain types of schools, subjects in the optional grouping (or a selection from combinations of them) may, in fact, be mandatory, for instance, History and Geography are mandatory in certain types of schools. Most schools do not offer all
7700-537: The refund was issued as late as March in the following year. Although school attendance in Ireland is very high, some students drop out of the education system after completion of the Junior Certificate. Those who stay in the education system sit the Leaving Certificate – the requirement for university entry in Ireland. A new type of Leaving Certificate, the Leaving Certificate Applied has been designed to discourage people from dropping out. This
7800-492: The relationship between the three Goidelic languages (Irish, Scottish Gaelic and Manx). Gaelic is a collective term for the Goidelic languages, and when the context is clear it may be used without qualification to refer to each language individually. When the context is specific but unclear, the term may be qualified, as Irish Gaelic, Scottish Gaelic or Manx Gaelic. Historically the name "Erse" ( / ɜːr s / URS )
7900-432: The requirement for entrance to the public service was changed to proficiency in just one official language. Nevertheless, Irish remains a required subject of study in all schools in the Republic of Ireland that receive public money (see Education in the Republic of Ireland ). Teachers in primary schools must also pass a compulsory examination called Scrúdú Cáilíochta sa Ghaeilge . As of 2005, Garda Síochána recruits need
8000-429: The results are published. The appeal results are usually issued mid-November. The grade that is received after appeal is final. If the candidate's grade does not change, no further action will be taken. However, if a change does occur, then the candidate will be refunded the appeal fee via a cheque made out to the principal of the school. These refunds take time to be issued, and in an appeal made in September of one year,
8100-647: The revival was the Gaelic League ( Conradh na Gaeilge ), and particular emphasis was placed on the folk tradition, which in Irish is particularly rich. Efforts were also made to develop journalism and a modern literature. Although it has been noted that the Catholic Church played a role in the decline of the Irish language before the Gaelic Revival, the Protestant Church of Ireland also made only minor efforts to encourage use of Irish in
8200-460: The seat in a close three-way contest, becoming the first female TD from County Limerick since Kathleen O'Callaghan in 1921. Both the Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael candidates in the by-election were also women. O'Sullivan was re-elected at the 2002 , 2007 and 2011 general elections, and at the 1999 local elections became Limerick's first alderwoman (as well as its last, as the title
8300-470: The start of the written paper) or practical exams (for example, in Music, 25% of the final result is based on a performance and skills test in front of an examiner). Exams normally range from one and a half to two hours long. Schools with students taking the examinations will have one or more examination centres (individual enclosed rooms in which examinations take place), and almost always at least two, because
8400-410: The three years. However, many teachers complained about a lack of information from the department about this change, and sample papers were not released until early 2006, the year when the new exam would be sat for the first time. Also, some schools complained that they did not have the laboratory facilities to do the new course but were forced to teach it anyway. In 2004, results were made available on
8500-726: The vacancy to which they are appointed. This requirement is laid down by the University College Galway Act, 1929 (Section 3). In 2016, the university faced controversy when it announced the planned appointment of a president who did not speak Irish. Misneach staged protests against this decision. The following year the university announced that Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh , a fluent Irish speaker, would be its 13th president. He assumed office in January 2018; in June 2024, he announced he would be stepping down as president at
8600-594: The work of such writers as Geoffrey Keating , is said to date from the 17th century, and was the medium of popular literature from that time on. From the 18th century on, the language lost ground in the east of the country. The reasons behind this shift were complex but came down to a number of factors: The change was characterised by diglossia (two languages being used by the same community in different social and economic situations) and transitional bilingualism (monoglot Irish-speaking grandparents with bilingual children and monoglot English-speaking grandchildren). By
8700-474: The written nature of the subject. Students who face disadvantages (e.g. suffer spelling problems caused by dyslexia, dyspraxia, dysgraphia, or other disorders such as Autism Spectrum Disorder or ADHD) cannot be penalised for poor spelling or grammar in exams such as English and Irish. These candidates will then be marked easier on all topics (e.g. if a student has a spelling problem in English they will be marked out of 50 for their mechanics). In 2017, English got
8800-454: Was Mayor of Limerick . Her religion twice became an issue in 1994, when she was prevented from opening a Christian Brothers School and from reading a lesson at a mass for Limerick's civic week. O'Sullivan was unsuccessful again at the 1997 general election , but after Kemmy's death in September 1997, she was selected as the Labour Party candidate for the by-election in March 1998 . She held
8900-590: Was a journalist. After graduating from Trinity College Dublin , she took a Higher Diploma in Education at University College Cork . After working as a teacher for a short period of time, she studied as a Montessori teacher while living in Canada . After returning to Ireland, in the late 1970s, O'Sullivan helped to run Limerick's family planning clinic. A member of the Church of Ireland , she married Paul O'Sullivan,
9000-852: Was abolished by the Local Government Act 2001 ). In the 28th Dáil , she was the Labour Party Spokesperson on Justice and Equality and a member of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Justice, Equality and Women's Rights. In the 29th Dáil , she was vice-chair of both the Dáil Select Committee on Education and Science and the Joint Committee on Education and Science, as well as her party's spokesperson on Education and Science. After Labour's disappointing performance at
9100-531: Was also sometimes used in Scots and then in English to refer to Irish; as well as Scottish Gaelic. Written Irish is first attested in Ogham inscriptions from the 4th century AD, a stage of the language known as Primitive Irish . These writings have been found throughout Ireland and the west coast of Great Britain. Primitive Irish underwent a change into Old Irish through the 5th century. Old Irish, dating from
9200-476: Was appointed by the Fine Gael–Labour government as Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade with special responsibility for Trade and Development. On 20 December 2011, she was appointed Minister of State at the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government with special responsibility for Housing and Planning. She attended meetings of the cabinet, a position described as
9300-423: Was circulated by the Department of Education and Skills issued by the former Minister for Education Jan O'Sullivan . Education reform at post-primary was largely supported by all Government parties, despite political changes in government over the years; the largest political parties Fianna Fáil , Fine Gael and Labour continued to promote the framework issued by the NCCA. The 'Framework for Junior Cycle' provided
9400-609: Was enacted 1 July 2019 and is an 18-page document that adheres to the guidelines of the Official Languages Act 2003 . The purpose of the Scheme is to provide services through the mediums of Irish and/or English. According to the Department of the Taoiseach, it is meant to "develop a sustainable economy and a successful society, to pursue Ireland's interests abroad, to implement the Government's Programme and to build
9500-549: Was establishing itself as the primary language. Irish speakers had first arrived in Australia in the late 18th century as convicts and soldiers, and many Irish-speaking settlers followed, particularly in the 1860s. New Zealand also received some of this influx. Argentina was the only non-English-speaking country to receive large numbers of Irish emigrants, and there were few Irish speakers among them. Jan O%27Sullivan Jan O'Sullivan ( née Gale ; born 6 December 1950)
9600-451: Was introduced as a subject and made mandatory from 2000, when Religious Education was also brought in. Religion was phased in with just a few schools adopting it in its first year, but now nearly all do the exam for Junior Cert, whilst CSPE was implemented nationwide. In 2002 a new Science course was introduced, with emphasis on greater class participation and introduction of the awarding of a percentage of marks for class practicals throughout
9700-474: Was passed 14 July 2003 with the main purpose of improving the number and quality of public services delivered in Irish by the government and other public bodies. Compliance with the Act is monitored by the An Coimisinéir Teanga (Irish Language Commissioner) which was established in 2004 and any complaints or concerns pertaining to the Act are brought to them. There are 35 sections included in
9800-605: Was revised into the Junior Cycle Profile of Achievement in 2022. The Junior Certificate ( Irish : Teastas Sóisearach ) or "Junior Cert" for short, is an educational qualification awarded in Ireland by the Department of Education to students who have successfully completed the junior cycle of secondary education and achieved a minimum standard in their Junior Certificate Examination (Irish: Scrúdú an Teastais Shóisearaigh ). A student takes up to ten subjects – including English, Irish and Mathematics – as part of
9900-693: Was spoken throughout Ireland, Isle of Man and parts of Scotland . It is the language of a large corpus of literature, including the Ulster Cycle . From the 12th century, Middle Irish began to evolve into modern Irish in Ireland, into Scottish Gaelic in Scotland, and into the Manx language in the Isle of Man . Early Modern Irish , dating from the 13th century, was the basis of the literary language of both Ireland and Gaelic-speaking Scotland. Modern Irish, sometimes called Late Modern Irish, as attested in
10000-442: Was unable to accomplish some everyday tasks, as portrayed in his documentary No Béarla . There is, however, a growing body of Irish speakers in urban areas, particularly in Dublin. Many have been educated in schools in which Irish is the language of instruction. Such schools are known as Gaelscoileanna at primary level. These Irish-medium schools report some better outcomes for students than English-medium schools. In 2009,
#401598